Horse-checking device



(-No Model.)

D. G. KNOWLES.

HORSE GHEGKING DEVICE.

No. 459,293. Patented Sept. 8', 1891.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DANIEL C. KNOIVLES, OF TILTON, NEYV HAMPSHIRE.

HORSE-CHECKING oevloa.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 459,293, dated September 8, 1891.

Application filed November 20, 1890. $erial No. 372,063. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, DANIEL O. KNOWLES, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Tilton,

in the county of Belknap and State of New Hampshire, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Oheckin g and Unchecking Horses; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to a device for checking and unchecking horses, the object thereof being to furnish an efficient and useful contrivance whereby horses or other animals may be easily checked or unchecked without trouble or danger, and especially to improve upon the construction presented in my former Letters Patent upon a similar device, dated October 4, 1890, No. 438,550; and the invention therefore consists in the construction, arrangement, and combination of parts, substantially as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating my invention, Figure 1 is an elevational View showing my improved device for checking and unchecking horses applied in operative position in connection with the other parts of the harness. Fig. 2 is a' longitudinal section of my improved device. Fig. 3 is a plan view of a portion of the same. Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view of a part of the device. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the stationary loop or frame which receives the easing.

Like letters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the diiferent figures of the drawings.

A denotes a casing of suitable size and shape. In that example of the invention illustrated in the drawings said casing comprises 7 a circular box having a suitable diameter and thickness and provided with a removable cover A, which is connected thereto by means of a screw a. Obviously this box or casing may vary greatly in size, form, and structure without departing from the invention. ,It is provided with a loop, hook, or other projection 0, to which the checkrein orstrap K is fastened. Obviously the checkrein may be connected to the casing in any desired manner.

The casing A has its side wall provided with a pair of oppositely-located slots, through which play catches or dogs, and also with another slot, through which a draw-bar slides. Vithin the interior of the casing are two angular or bell-crank levers D D, which are formed with projections D, which serve as the dogs or catches of the device, and are arranged to operate through the aforesaid slots. (See Fig. 4:.) The angular levers D D are pivoted'at d d. They turn upon their pivots, so as to shift from the position shown in full lines to the position shown in dotted lines, and vice versa, as in Fig. l, so that the dogs D are at times retracted in the casingA and at other times are projected therefrom. E denotes a flat spring, having its ends bearing against the saidleversD D, the function of said spring being evidently to force the catches D out- Ward. If therefore the levers D D should be shifted on their pivots so as to bring the dogs within the casing, it is obvious that the spring E will be more or less compressed, and that when the agency tending to retract the dogs is removed the tension of the compressed spring will readily cause the dogs to obtrude their ends from the casing-slots and the spring will hold them normally in this position, except when they may be temporarily contracted for the purpose of disengaging them from the frame or loop within which the casing A slides back and forth in the performance of the functions of the device. The inner ends of the levers D D enter slots or notches ff, formed near one end of the draw bar or rod F, which is designed to have an endwise movement at certain times, it playing through a suitable slot or opening in the Wall of the casing. The other end of the draw-bar F is provided with a perforation f, to permit the connection therewith of the cord or other connection G.

In Fig. 4c the extent of movement of the drawbar inwardly is shown in dotted lines.

On the saddle or some other suitable part slide freely through it, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The construction of this stationary loop B may obviously vary within very wide limits. It is preferably provided with a flat horizontal spring I), seated or affixed within the bottom of the loop, so that when the casing A rests within the loop and upon the spring the latter may have a tendency to better hold the casing within the slot and make its movement therein more even and regular by exerting a certain amount of pressure upon the casing.

The foregoing relates in a great measure to the description of a construction similar to what is found in my former patent, hereinabove alluded to, with certain modifications and additions, and I will now proceed to describe those parts of the invention wherein my present improvements specifically consist. Q

The harness, in addition to being provided with a stationary loop or slot which is pref- "erably fixed upon the saddle, is also provided with "another stationary slot, loop, or ring fixed thereon at the rear portion of the harness, and preferably at the point where the back-band divides to form the crupper near the tail of the horse. This stationary ring is shown at I in Figs. 1 and 2.

G designates a cord passing from the drawbar 5E, towh-ich we have already seen it connected, and running through the ring I, said cord or connection G being at this latter point provided with a ring g. It is desirable to have a yielding connection between the drawbar and the ring g. In otherwords, this connection should at times be yielding and at otherti'mes stiff and taut. Therefore I preferably surround the cord or connection G for "a portion of its length with a coiled spring. H, the-cord lyi'n-gqui-te loose within thespring and being firmly connected thereto at each endof the spring, so that when the cord is draw-n taut 'thespring will be extended, and when 'thespring resumes its normal condition the result will be to cause the cord to again lie loosely inside of the spring. Byineans of this spring I obtain the necessary slack, so that the horse can be unchecked. Obviously I can arrange this spri'ng'and'cord in a very different manner from what is shown in the drawings, if I prefer. -I conceive that I have the liberty of constructing the connection between the draw-bar and the ring gin any desirable manner, and also that I can impart thereto "a flexible and yielding character by em'ployin'g'such construction as may best effect this, either by using a coil which surrounds the cord, a coil inserted into the cord or a coil dispensing with the cord, or such other-yielding connect-ion as may be thought best.

I J denotes a rod, pole or other elongated device with which the driver or rider can reach from his position to the rear of the horse, where the stationary ring and the -contiguous movable ring are located. This reach or rod J will be probably in most cases, and is preferably, the whip which the driver ordinarily uses. Said whip, if the whip be preferred for this purpose, is provided with a hook j, connected thereto in any suitable manner and at any convenient distance from the snapper end. This hookj is designed and adapted to engage the ring g. Therefore the driver, when he so desires, can reach with his whip out over the horse and cause the hook j to engage the ring g, and then by pulling upon his whip the result will be to slide the casing A within its stationary loop.

Such being the construction of the several parts of my improved device for checking and unchecking horses, I will now proceed to describe the operation of thesalne. Suppose it is desired to uncheck the horse and that the device is in the position shown in Fig. 3,-where the 'dogsD project into engagement with the frame 13, and the horse is therefore at this time presumed to be checked. The driver will reach forth his whip, engage the ring 9, and then pull upon thesame until all the slack in the connection with the draw bar is taken up and afair pull can be had upon the device sufficiently to enable the draw-bar,

which is engaged with the'two angular levers D D, to shift those levers sufficiently toretract the'dogs within the interiorof 't-he'casing, so that the'inovelnen ts'o'fthe horses head (it being now presumed'that he is moving his head for-ward for the purpose of getting it nearer to the watering-trough or for some other purpose) will be sufficient to slide the casing forwardly through the slot B. lhus the horse will be unchecked and permitted to move his head at pleasure. When unchecked, the coil H or the yielding portionof the connection between the ring 9 and the draw-bar will permit the horse to lowerhis head forward or about until the slack is taken up, and thus the coil will not be strained and will wear along time. When it is desired to recheck the horse, the driver can reach forth his whip and engage the ring g, and by pulling thereon cause the casing A to slide back through the slot until the spring-dogs engage the slots in the proper manner to hold the horse in check.

Having thus described myinvention, what Iclaim as new, and desire to secu'reby Letters Patent, is

1. In combination with a stationary loop or slot, a check-strap, a casing connected thereto, spring-actuated dogs within'the casing and'a draw-bar connected to said dogs at the rear of the loop, and ayielding connection between the bar and a ring connected to another part of the harness. V

2. The combination, with a stationary loop or slot through which acasing connected to the checlest-rap is adapted to slide and to carry spring-actuated dogs for engaging said loop, and a draw-bar connected to the said dogs, of a spring in the said stationary loop or slot adapted to press upon the casing, snbprovided with a hook adapted to engage said to stantially as described. ring. 7

3. The combination, with a loop on the sad- In testimony whereof I affix my signature in dle, a casing connected to the checkrein, presence of two witnesses. splin -actuated do s in the casin and a draw connected to the said dogs, of a second loop DANIEL KNOWLES located at the rear of the harness, a ring ad- \Vitnesses: .joining said loop, a connection between said MARY M. BARROWS,

ring and the draw, and a reach for the driver, WM. F. GIBSON. 

